


local mages in your area!

by opanimeboy



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Enstars Shipping Olympics, M/M, fantasy violence - monsters with an abnormal amount of eyes and teeth and meanness, self harm for magic casting but it only happens once and is very slight: a prick on the palm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-28
Updated: 2019-07-28
Packaged: 2020-07-23 16:28:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20011336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/opanimeboy/pseuds/opanimeboy
Summary: “So there’s a crazy stupid strong item where we're heading? Why don’t we go find it first?!”“It’s too dangerous, and besides - that’s not why I’m here.”“Hm? Well then, why do you do this if it’s so dangerous?”“It’s my job. I’m just scouting ahead to make sure it’s safe when a bunch more people come through here. They probably assigned me this task since I’m familiar with the area, or they’re just tired of seeing my face everyday at the apothecary.”Subaru's mouth twisted and he replied “Hey! You have a nice face to look at!”“Thanks, dude.”“No problem, bro.”The crunch of the grass underfoot was the only noise between them until he spoke up again.“That must be pretty boring! You’ve come all this way just to help others you’ll never see? What about you? Don’t you want anything?”* *Round 2 of ESO with prompt 98: "Mao is novice mage that meets cheerful, more exp. boy. They decide to explore a dungeon, but the deeper they go, the more extreme things seem. Turns out boy is a demon/oni! SubaMao fantasy world!"





	local mages in your area!

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so, so, so, so, SO much to cian and yoli for all of the help! <3 <3 <3
> 
> i went with a different twist on dungeons inspired by "is it wrong to pick up girls in a dungeon" and "magi!" the vibe def comes off as "fantasy light novel" minus the lady badoingadoings.
> 
> i hope you have fun reading!
> 
> p.s.  
> read the intro [that are in italics] with the voice of a narrator at the beginning of a fantasy anime who tells the viewer about the world (eg. one piece, seven deadly sins, fullmetal alchemist). it is for your own good.

_Dungeons have been around long before anyone can remember. Even the most well studied can’t decipher just how they truly got there and believe that whatever created such massive, spread out labyrinths around the globe must have created the world as well. Such a conclusion would not be too far fetched. Why else would the strongest magic items in the universe exist past treacherous terrains so abnormally dangerous? Where completely new species of creatures, flora, and fauna were constantly being discovered in the different dungeons across continents, there was always something to take out of it, regardless of if it were an Earth-shattering creation._

_Humans were in awe of these world wonders with deep caverns, steep mountains, unruly jungles, and every extreme climate of the likes, but fear persisted much more fervently when things from_ inside _the dungeons brought out items._

_Despite this, dreams of sparkling treasures, and fame that would make you shine like few others had folk of all types trying their hand at becoming adventurers._

* * *

The day wasn’t going quite like Mao Isara planned.

Like life does to those who are about to lose theirs, time slowed and every memory since he saw the sun that morning flashed behind his eyelids.

When he opened them, all he could see were bright orange flames alongside something of a similar color. 

“...ao!”

It was warm.

**

It was Dungeon Day. 

He'd prepared all week; extra clothes, a notebook and writing utensils, a pocket knife, and a little bit of food were securely stashed. His magic items were held in a satchel over his travel pack for convenience, cleaned and ready for their next use. ‘Ready’ would be an understatement, and he'd gone enough times to know not to overload himself. Anything he'd need or wanted to bring back out could be found where he'd be for a few days.

This dungeon had been closed off to the public just shy of how long Mao had been alive. Eighteen years weren’t much in the grand scheme of just how ancient the structures were, but the area wasn’t deemed a dungeon until he was a young child. He remembered the buzz around town, about how they were on the border of something so dangerous, yet so wondrous.. 

“The True Forest” was the best they could come with, but everyone he knew just called it “Tenshouin Forest” since they had jurisdiction over the area. Even before it was roped off to everyone, it already had the reputation of having ornery wild animals deeper in, along with being unsafe. This reputation led to civilization cultivating besides it instead, mostly living off what was at the edges.

Soon, they would let the first adventurers in the area explore it. First, the Tenshouin affiliates would have to check it out for safety regulations since any [inevitable] accidents or disasters were filed under the family corporation. Then, Mao would just be back to simple apothecary work in his quiet studio from sunrise to sunset. The silent workplace would smell like smoke after all the spells and cooking he’d do, and he’d only see Keito once every other week to pick up the goods. He’d help out with odd jobs to pass time on his off days, and he wouldn’t get to breathe the crisp air or walk unmarked trails again until he was assigned more field work God knows when.

That’s exactly why he planned to make the most of the next two days. He ate a hearty breakfast of leftovers his family made when he was working yesterday, left a note (“For your next of kin, just in case. ...Be careful, Isara,” he heard Keito in his head) of where he’d be, and went off to his objective point - all alone.

It was early morning. Though it was late enough that the dew was drying, a coolness could still be felt in the air. Mao rubbed his hands over his sleeves to try and let some warmth seep into his arms, to no avail. The sigh he exhaled didn’t leave a cloud of smoke, but he tugged his cloak tighter regardless, making determined steps forward as if he could abandon the cold.

He was surprised that they hadn’t figured out this area was a dungeon much sooner. He’d read reports of the small game looking severely different than the surrounding regions, and how people’s magic worked better in the area. It wasn’t like he had any comparison of his own power being weaker somewhere else; this little town was all he knew, and every spell was always summoned efficiently.

“Efficiently” was all Mao knew, and he would do this job just like any other.

Even with his eyes closed, he could vividly describe the small, closed red flowers that wouldn’t open until midday. The way the bark would peel with just the slightest touch was just as familiar to him, as were pleasant chirps and chatters of the large blue birds that infested the whole region. All he had to do was collect samples of the items on his way out of the forest so he wouldn’t be holding so much during his journey. For now, his goal was to go just a bit deeper than he was accustomed to -- where the ground was uneven from where the towering trees’ roots gnarled above ground, and the shadows cast were much more giving to quieter, sharper creatures.

With every step further into the forest, time passed and everything came alive. Mao could feel the thrumming energy of magic in the air, much more concentrated than the main street where every magic caster’s feel would tangle and chaff. If he were better, he could probably pinpoint the location of the little animals that were going about their day, ones that would help him in his task for samples and diary entries. As it was, there was a certain place he wanted to get to before the sun was at its highest.

A brisk walk in the tranquil setting had him nearly skipping, and for once, not being assigned a team to explore with him wasn’t too disappointing. He was a people person by nature, but these peaceful moments of solitude made him feel optimistic that everything would go off without a hitch.

As it got warmer, Mao was guided by his own mental landmarks that he’d memorized years ago. He eventually put his cloak away and took a short break, picking up the pace once he’d put his stuff back in his pack. When he reached a familiar crooked tree with an abundant amount of moss and mushrooms, he smiled to himself.

Rolling up his pant legs to his calves and putting his hair in a ponytail, he walked just a few paces away from the landmark until he found the shallow stream just three times as wide as him. He stood still to hear rushing water nearby and quickly took off his shoes so he could step into the water. 

The temperature was _perfect_ , and the smooth river rocks under his feet made sure he didn’t slip when he took his time following the water path. It gradually opened up to a tiny lake with clear water and a small waterfall, completely surrounded by a myriad of colorful wildflowers in soft, dark soil. 

This pool was his treasure that he’d discovered once old enough to get this far into the woods. The first time he’d come here, he’d passed out by himself in a clearing during the nighttime and encountered something that he couldn’t quite remember. Either way, he woke up from that experience cold and hungry once again in the early morning and stumbled upon the small oasis. That was around the time when his magic manifested, so he couldn’t help but feel sentimental towards the place. While he was concerned that other adventurers would ruin or take advantage of the natural resources throughout the dungeon, logic dictated that economy and trade would flourish in town once it garnered more traffic. The thought left a bitter taste in Mao’s mouth, but it was the way it was meant to go. His apothecary work was vital to the families he had served under, so it’s not like he would be able to join a party anytime soon-- to leave his own more tender mark on the world. 

He was pulled from his thoughts when he heard a loud splash that went against the waterfall’s consistent bubbling. Stilling, Mao scanned the water for the cause of the noise. What he thought was some kind of- no, two pointy bugs sticking out of the deeper water abruptly popped up from underneath the surface, splashing him.

Mao blinked.

He blinked again, then once more for good measure - just to make sure he hadn’t stepped on a nasty bugger of a weed that’d made him hallucinate.

No, there was definitely a person in front of him splashing around like a child.

At first glance, the _man_ he saw looked ghostly. It was almost like there were _horns_ protruding from his head, and the implication sent Mao’s heart racing. He didn’t do well with the supernatural, opting to leave that sort of stuff to necromancers and anybody else into such morbid things. A second look let his heart rest, but his luck with dealing with a horned being was to be determined. 

The boy was much too rosy to be dead, and he almost _sparkled,_ nearly outshining the lovely backdrop, and Mao couldn’t help but stare. He was in garb that Mao wasn’t familiar with, the robes and elaborate strings and necklaces adding to his mystical image. The guy’s existence didn’t make sense, as funny as that sentiment was. Horns, or whatever points he’d thought he saw and believed to be bugs, didn’t make sense, but neither did seeing someone out here. When that thought struck him, he groaned internally at the paperwork he’d have to file for this incident.

With his bangs dripping, Mao cleared his throat loudly enough to be noticed. The person violently turned around fast enough to yelp and fall back into the water, once again splashing Mao.

“Wh- woah! Just who are you?! Have you been following me?!” the guy sputtered.

“How would I do that when I’ve never seen you before,” Mao brushed the hair obstructing his eyesight back, “and wait a second. You...don’t know who I am?”

“Should I? Oh, man, are you a king or something?! But you’re not wearing those awesome crowns or anything, so…”

“I’m definitely not royalty as far as I know. My clients call me 'The Magician,' but I guess it’s pretty big-headed of me to assume I’d be well known, huh. Haha. My bad.”

“Hm...I can get wanting to be known, though! Nothing is wrong with a little fame, hoho~! My name is Subaru Akehoshi! I’ll ask again -- who are you?”

“Mao Isara. I work with the Tenshouin family-”

“Ten shins? Moai? Sall..y? Sally it is!”

“It’s Isara, but, ah, sure…”

This guy was kind of...airheaded. Not that Mao was much better with how easily he’d been pulled right into the other’s train of thought. This Subaru fellow looked like he was really proud of that nickname, and Mao didn’t have the heart to correct him just yet. Whatever momentary bond they had just begun to form was interrupted by the pressing matter of just what led Subaru to be playing in a _dungeon_ all alone.

“Akehoshi, right? Why are you out here? Are you lost?”

“Completely!”

A headache was oncoming; Mao could almost feel the paperwork under his fingertips. Rubbing his temple, he asked, “Where are you from?”

“Uh-- around here!”

“Really? I’ve lived here my whole life and never seen you before…”

“Well, not like _here-_ here, but around the area! I wandered off from my place and got su-per lost!~

Mao was never looking for trouble, but he seemed to be a magnet for it. At this point in time, it wouldn’t look good for him if he were to return before any work had been done. Plus, after he turned Subaru into someone who could help him get home, it’s likely they’d already have someone else filling Mao’s position. It was grunt work, after all, but it filled Mao with purpose unlike anything in his little town.

“It can’t be helped then. I’m not a fan of troublesome things, but...I guess some company wouldn’t be so bad. Wanna come with me to do some observation work? I promise to get you back to your place safe and sound after.”

Subaru looked dumbfounded (and just a _tiny_ bit dumb with his mouth gaping), confusing Mao himself. Faster than Mao could react -- and he prided himself on having fairly decent reflexes-- Subaru flung himself on Mao, hugging him tight around his neck.

“You’re such a nice guy, Sally! Thank you, thank you, tha-nk yo-ou so, so, so much!”

It was awkward with Subaru’s ropes and jewelry sandwiched between them, in addition to soaking Mao in the front. The final touch was that Mao was dragged further into the water, to the point where it reached his thighs. His satchel with his specialty items floated just long enough for him to notice before it was too late, and he pulled away from the hug, dragging Subaru by his wrist. Maybe _Mao_ was the airhead of them both, for being so spontaneous and encouraging Subaru’s own spontaneity.

“It’s no problem. Let’s get out of here before we get sick, okay?”

“You’re the boss!”

Just like that, he had a party for the first time in his life. He had never really stuck to anyone for long periods of time, so he had no idea how their experiment would go. Regardless, Subaru was willing to go along with him. He listened to Mao filling him in with minimal interruptions (which, judging from his character so far, seemed to be a _miracle_ ), so Mao wasn’t too nervous. 

He didn’t know what to expect in the slightest, but it was _exciting_. Subaru himself commented on his smile, so he must have been horribly transparent.

Mao got along by going with the flow, and this simultaneously went with and very much against it. In the moment and even after, he couldn’t think of any good reason to leave Subaru behind or any other solution, so this was the only thing he could do. On the other hand, he’d be traveling on duty with a stranger that might need more assistance than someone of his age and capabilities should call for. Though, it was honestly a more pleasant alternative than spending the night alone in this forest.

Their forty-eight hour adventure started with Mao shaking off like a dog and Subaru just...being dry the moment they stepped onto land. Mao hadn’t ever seen that kind of magic before, so he made sure to ask about it. Convenient magic was sort of his thing, after all. 

Subaru shrugged the question off and instead opted to show him how he did it; he reached a hand over to Mao’s shoulder and warmth ran over his skin. It felt like light the sun gave off on the most pleasant days. His hair had been sticking to his neck, but in an instant - it lifted, soft, along with his clothes. Mao didn’t get it, but Subaru looked proud, so Mao just thanked him and let it be.

From there, the morning and afternoon went by quickly. Mao began writing down and pressing plant specimens from around the body of water in his journal, but he had to pause often because of how much attention Subaru demanded. He continuously tried showing him cool or “shiny” things to speed up the process, but there were only so many bright green beetles that were “Just like your eyes, Sally! Can we keep him, can we keep him?” that they could _not_ keep. 

When Subaru went quiet for a moment too long, Mao got weirded out, and for good reason; it turned out that Subaru was gathering and cleaning some mushrooms that were not edible. Giving him some of the snacks he’d brought along, Mao decided it was time to get a move on with the sun just a bit past its highest point.

They hiked further into the forest, and it became apparent that Subaru didn’t know much about _anything._ That wasn’t a jab at him, either. The guy must have been sheltered to not know who the Tenshouins were.

“So there’s a crazy stupid strong item deeper the way we’re going? Why don’t we go find it first?!”

“It’s too dangerous, and besides - that’s not why I’m here.”

“Hm? Well then, why do you do this if it’s so dangerous?”

“It’s my job. I’m just scouting ahead to make sure it’s safe when a bunch more people come through here. They probably assigned me this task since I’m familiar with the area,” Mao paused to let out a slightly self-deprecating chuckle, “or they’re just tired of seeing my face everyday at the shack.”

Subaru mouth twisted and he replied “Hey! You have a nice face to look at!”

“Thanks, dude.”

“No problem, bro.”

The crunch of the grass underfoot was the only noise between them until Subaru spoke up again.

“That must be pretty boring! You’ve come all this way just to help others you’ll never see? What about you? Don’t you want anything?”

Mao had to take a moment to think about that. Did he want anything? Besides a break - that he _still_ wasn’t getting today - he couldn’t pinpoint a goal or dream he currently had.

“Do you know anything about the Artifacts?”

“Nope! I’m assuming you’ll tell me? Sally is so smart!~”

“They’re-” Mao let out a long suffering sigh, “I still can’t believe you’ve never heard of this stuff. They’re what might be at the end of every dungeon, this one included. There’s only five out in the entire world, and four of those came out with people...or, er, living beings.”

“Is this a scary story? I’m not too bad with them, but if you get scared, my hand is all sweaty, so it won’t be fun holding hands for comfort.”

“Do you ever think before you talk?” asked Mao through a laugh.

“When I feel like it! Continue with the monster story!”

“They’re not monsters, I think. They look human enough, but they have abilities that no one’s ever seen. I’m pretty sure they’re being put to work for good use, but when they first came into contact with humans, there was...controversy, to put it lightly. You _have_ to know about the war, right? _Now_ does 'Eichi Tenshouin' ring a bell?”

“Yeah, yeah, bloody and sucky and very, very, very awful. My real concern is _what_ the artifacts are! Are they huge weapons? Golden treasure? A person?! Tell me the interesting bits!”

They’d reached a small dirt cliff that they'd started to repeatedly see this deep in. Just a few yards farther and it was like an invisible barrier dividing two environments. Behind them, it was greener, brighter, and sounds from animals scavenging. The dark area encompassing everything in front of them was filled with more trees, closer together, less flowers, and more silence. Mao was pleased with their time because they’d have the daylight to be in the dungeon instead of the night that was sure to be pitch black under the canopy.

Their conversation slowed so they could climb down and enter, but Mao slipped near the bottom. The impact wasn’t so bad, but he immediately felt a sting on his elbow. He didn’t realize Subaru was so close to him until the man took his arm in his warm hand and touched the scrape through his tunic.

The pain went away.

Mao was baffled. Healing a person was high level magic and impossible for many people, but his new acquaintance did it and didn’t even get a nosebleed. Magic on living things besides yourself was much more difficult than convenient, offensive, or defensive magic. It didn’t make sense that Subaru was so unknowing of the world around him yet could do a spell like that in mere moments.

“You okay?”

“...uh, yeah. Thank you. They’re... amulets, I think.”

“Huh?”

“I’ve heard that the Artifacts are usually amulets, or some kind of jewel piece. I know the Flying Eccentric uses a brooch, but that’s only because I’ve seen him before.”

“Oh,” he drew out the syllables, "that’s so cool! I bet they’re so, _so_ pretty up close! I want one! I need one! I honestly thought you were telling me some made up story, but now I know you can help me get one!”

“Like I could make up something like that on the fly?”

“You seem smart enough! You’re a capable guy! We’re out here in the wilderness because you’re ‘working--'”

“You still don’t believe me?” Mao’s headache returned, but he couldn’t stop his wry smile. “You’ve been watching me stop and write all afternoon, Akehoshi.”

“I mean, yeah, but you could just be diligently taking notes for yourself! Or drawing - in which case I wanna see and you should draw me - but seriously! Why would you come out here for a job for some rich people without wanting a little pizzazz in your own life? That’s-”

A loud crunching sound echoed ahead of where they’d been traipsing over exposed tree roots, and the air trembled when a tree hit the ground. Mao glanced at Subaru who was looking back at him, and he went in front of him with his arm raised out to prevent Subaru from going further.

They had just crossed over into the next level of this place, so it didn’t make sense that anything would be out and about there - _especially_ in the day time. For precaution, he rummaged through his satchel and pulled out three small slips of paper. He’d written protection spells in advance and didn’t plan on using them until the evening, but he also didn’t think he’d have to defend two people.

Mumbling an incantation, one paper sizzled into ash and a breeze of fresh air rustled around Mao and Subaru. They stayed still for a moment longer, listening for any indication that the tree fell unnaturally but didn’t hear anything else. Mao walked slowly and Subaru followed, moving away from the source until something was thrown at them.

A wall of wind blocked whatever was heading straight for them, and something huge and gray hurled towards them on four feet. Its fur was matted around its too many eyes, and it snarled at them with too many teeth, ferociously sharp. It raised up on its hind legs and took large steps to close the distance between itself and them.

Then, there was fire.

Mao was disorientated at how fast the situation escalated. _He_ had not produced the flames, and one of his papers flew out of his hand. Subaru was besides him with his hands outstretched, and Mao’s brain locked onto how long and sharp Subaru’s nails looked. No -- _claws;_ they were claws. His eyes raked over Subaru who was suddenly _glowing_ in the dim light - blue balls of fire floating around him haphazardly. There was no explanation for what Subaru was doing, but Mao didn’t have time to think about it when the area got exponentially hotter.

Subaru had lit the creature on fire, and it screeched in pain. That had only enraged it, so it bashed itself on the clustered trees, trying to put itself out. Not letting him get the chance, Subaru kept throwing his fire, but the leaves on the ground and bark were quickly catching, too. Mao was nothing if not adept, so he shook himself from his thoughts to be back in the present and use his last slip. It was a containment spell that would usually take minutes to cast, but judging by the mess around them - he had seconds before disaster. Yanking his knife out of his sack and pricking his palm where blood welled, he put the paper directly over the injury. When it was dotted red, it disappeared in pink light. He envisioned the creature in a cage, and a bubble appeared around the creature. The roars it was making went silent, and Mao felt a ping of pity. It was cooking alive, but it couldn’t touch them.

What could and _was_ touching them was the fire everywhere else. Subaru had cheered the moment Mao pulled his stunt, but then it was obvious it occurred to him that they were still in a predicament. The blue orbs went away, but the flames only rose higher and closer to them.

“Can you stop it?” Mao grit his teeth and pulled Subaru up from tripping on a root.

“I don’t know how!”

If it continued, it’d easily reach the outskirts of town with how strong it was, not to mention escape was quickly becoming impossible. Desperate times call for desperate measures, but Mao didn’t know how he could do it all by himself. He felt despair choke him with the smoke, and he looked at Subaru.

Subaru Akehoshi with claws and horns and magic that didn’t make sense. Mao looked at his hand smeared with dried blood.

He didn't know what this would do, but he he was overwhelmed with hope.

Mao offered his hand. Subaru stared at him before he grabbed on, and the flames turned orange. Their wind barrier broke audibly, like glass shattering, and blew the flames around. Mao was blinded with orange.

“Concentrate on it! Think about where you want it!”

“Gone-- I want it gone! I didn’t mean to-!”

“It’ll be okay! Imagine them _gone_!”

Mao used whatever surge of power he’d gotten when he’d touched Subaru to do just that. He remembered the scene they’d walked to before the chaos when Subaru asked him why he’d come here. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them, he saw the fire getting smaller.

Then, the world went sideways and orange was all he knew.

** 

“-ao!”

“...Mao!”

His own name was being shouted very, _very_ close to his face, and with that - he was awake. Mao opened his eyes only to see Subaru’s face with one long, red triangle on each cheek.

“Hey...what, uh, happened?”

“ _You’re not dead!_ I didn’t kill anybody! Whoohoo!~ Sally, you are so, so, so, so, so cool!”

“I am?”

“Cooler than ice! I started another fire, by the way.”

Mao sat up fast, too fast, and he felt a hand hold his shoulder steady.

“I meant a bonfire! You weren’t looking so good, so I set up camp away from that thing we fought!”

When he got his bearings back, Mao noticed that his head was pillowed by his cloak and that next to the flames were a thoroughly cooked [or burned] meat of some kind. Subaru was back to normal besides the face tattoos, and Mao mentally note that he didn’t feel any fear towards him.

“Hey, Sally? Do you think you could teach me more on how to control that? It usually comes in handy, but I’ve never really been in closed quarters before. You were awesome when you kept making those bubbles-”

“Are you okay?!”

“Oh, just catching up, huh. I’m fine! You fell and I was freaking out but I had to put out the fire and didn’t want _you_ to catch on fire so I somehow made all the flames go away faster, but-- it ended up okay! I have to ask, though. Did you know...you were smiling when we were fighting?”

Mao did not. Everything had happened so fast. He hadn’t used that much magic in a long time if _ever_.

Besides the life endangering aspect, it was _ex_ _hilarating._

“You asked me why I took this job?”

Subaru hummed and scooted closer to him. When Mao looked at him, their were innocent red horns and claws in plain sight.

“I used to want to go on an adventure, but I think I forgot along the way. It was easier to let others do it if I was good at other things.”

“That's sad. Do you like shiny things, too?” Subaru had turned completely towards him.

"I do."

Subaru grinned and offered his hand.

He knew this was about to change everything. Maybe he hadn't been looking for a peaceful nature walk this whole time. Maybe his exciting story had a chance, yet. After all - he _was_ very good at going with the flow.

Mao slipped his hand into his.

It was warm.

**Author's Note:**

> rushed the ending and edited it a bit, but i hope you enjoyed it nonetheless!
> 
> this is just a oneshot, but here's some more worldbuilding tidbits i liked entertaining while writing:
> 
> \- i mention it here but ritsu has to do with mao getting magic at all and it happened that one night that mao can't remember  
> \- subaru's mom is human and his dad was...Something! :3  
> \- subaru deserves a fleshed out background im sorry i just wrote about the shiny thing. dw, he's very preoccupied with being the best while bein bratty. subamao build each other up !!
> 
> thank you for reading!  
> twitter: opanimeboyy


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